How to email a professor for research positions MS/PhD

How to email a professor for research positions MS/Ph.D. (From Starting to Ending)

Have you already tired of sending hundreds of emails to professors for the research positions, yet struggling to get a positive response? Don’t worry – in this article, you will learn each and everything about how to write an email to a professor and get a response.

As a prospective student, you have to keep tone and language professional. Keep in mind, you have to display the traits of the thoughtful, motivated, skilled, well-organized student. Your email will be the first impression, that’s why it is important to show yourself as a student who is serious, well-qualified, and motivated enough to carry out advanced research under the professor’s supervision. Keep your email short - don’t write long stories. Also, it shouldn't be too short.

Ideally, the email should have enough information answering the questions: who are you? and why are you emailing?

Let’s Make it Masterpiece

First things first, when it comes to writing an email to a professor, prefer your academic email. From the subject line to sign off, the content of the email should straightforward, without any grammatical and spelling mistakes.

To compile a perfect email, there should be three paragraphs (introduction, connection building, and closing) each of them shouldn’t be more than 4 to 5 lines. It will help you to organize your email. Remember, you are emailing a professor for a research career. Never make mistakes that could ruin your chances of getting a positive response.

Catchy subject line

Is your email click-worthy? It depends on the subject line of your email. Choose the subject line wisely. The subject line of your email should be short and gives a clear hint about the purpose of emailing. For instance, you can write

Request for research supervision Fall 2020

Request for Ph.D. supervision

Request for MS supervision

Prospective Ph.D. Student

Greeting

Be aware, salutations can either help or hurt you. It is crucial to understand that, professors have done years of hard work to earn this title that’s why you should show them respect through the courtesy of using a salutation. Since the salutation is the first thing a professor will see, that’s why it is important to start your VERY FIRST email with “Dear”. As it is the most appropriate way to address a professor. For instance,

Dear Dr. [NAME],

Dear Prof. [NAME],

It is worth noting that if you email without writing the name of a professor such as a “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern”, God help you. It shows that you are sending the same copy-pasted emails to other professors. That’s a sign of clear-cut REJECTION. Also, don’t misspell your professor’s name, ever. In the first email, always avoid these informal greetings like “Hi”, “Hello”, and “Hei”. These are normal to use with friends, but it’s not a professional way when it comes to approaching a professor. Especially, if you are emailing them for the first time and you have never met before. A well-written salutation will define how well the rest of your email.

How to introduce yourself:

It’s time to introduce yourself. In general, there are no hard-and-fast rules about how to introduce yourself in an email. The first paragraph of your email should address who you are in a clear and concise way–such as:

My name is [YOUR NAME], and I have completed [YOUR DEGREE TITLE] from [YOUR UNIVERSITY NAME, NOTE: don’t only use abbreviation] with [YOUR CGPA/TOTAL CGPA, NOTE: don’t mention CGPA if it’s low – but don’t worry – there are different ways to compensate the low CGPA such as online courses, relevant work experience, and publishing a research paper, a strong Letter of Motivation]. At the moment, I am working as a Trainee, Communications at [COMPANY NAME], [CITY].

EXTRA TIPS: As an option, you can write about your big achievements such as Gold Medal and Dean certificates, if you have any.

There are a few things that you must take care of, such as personal nouns and abbreviations. The personal pronoun ‘I’ is always written with a capital letter in standard English. Don’t even imagine writing ‘i’ when emailing a professor. It gives a big message that you don’t have sufficient English language skills. Remember, you are emailing for research supervision. Professors are always looking for students that have a strong command in English for understanding existing scientific literature and writing the research papers. And never use country-specific abbreviations.

Build a connection

Besides introducing yourself, now it’s time to build a connection with the professor through common research areas and interests. Be specific, and let the professor know about your research background and relevant experience. If you don’t have any prior research experience, then you can show your motivation towards the ongoing projects of the professor. I always recommend to take your time and read some latest research articles of the prospective professor before emailing.

It will show that you have done your homework by reading the information on the academic profile of the professor. This one is key, especially if you don’t have any previous research experience. In such a case, MOOCs are the best way to boost your profile. Luckily, there are dozen of platforms providing tons of academic courses that offer world-class education right here on the internet.

When you write an email to professors, keep in mind that they receive tons of email from the student – every day. To stand out from the crowd, keep your email short, clear, and concise without repeating the whole details of your academic CV.

Always list your skills and expertise in a simple and easy-to-understand way by aligning with the research area of the targeted professor. All in all, you have to advertise and sell yourself by showing genuine research interests and capabilities. As an example,

During my [UNDERGRADUATE/MASTER], I have worked on some projects to actualize and implement the theoretical knowledge of [Internet-of-Things, Smart Cities, and LPWAN]) into practical work. I read your research work and really fascinated by your recent paper [PAPER TITLE].

NOTE: In this paragraph, connect the dots between your previous and current work experience, internships, online courses, and projects with the professor’s area of interest. If you have any research publication, then you can mention it in this paragraph.

Closing

Once you build a connection through common research interests, now explain how and where you got the information about the professor. Most importantly, explain why are you reaching out to the professor. Finally, at least in your first email, always end with a greeting and full signature. You can mention that CV is attached to the email.

I visited [MENTION THE NAME OF PROFESSOR’S LABOR RESEARCH GROUP] website and found that you have research interests in [Wireless Communications, 5G, Internet-of-Things, Smart Cities, and LPWAN]. Your ongoing projects seem very interesting. If possible, I would love to join your research group and pursue [MS/Ph.D.] under your supervision.

I have attached my CV with this email. If there’s anything I can do to facilitate the connection further, please let me know.

Best Regards/Regards/Sincerely, [Pick one of them]

Your name,

Affiliation (if any)

Proofread and Fact Check

Before sending an email to a professor, proofread it carefully and get someone you trust to review for spelling and grammar. Also, don’t forget to include your full name in the signature.

What does this look like all together?

I hope these guidelines will help you, and here is what does this looks like all together.

During my [UNDERGRADUATE/MASTER], I have worked on some projects to actualize and implement the theoretical knowledge of [Internet-of-Things, Smart Cities, and LPWAN]) into practical work. Recently, I read your research work and really fascinated by your recent paper [PAPER TITLE].

I have attached my CV with this email. If there’s anything I can do to facilitate the connection further, please let me know.

Best Regards/Regards/Sincerely, [Pick one of them]

[YOUR NAME],

Affiliation (if any)